Nuclear Medicine Scan

Three/Four Phase Bone Scan

Indications:

This scan is done to evaluate bone pain, injury for possible fracture, infections, and bone disease.

The Procedure:

You will receive an injection in your hand or arm by a Nuclear Medicine Technologist. The injection is not a dye or contrast. The injection is a low level radioactive material and patients rarely have a reaction. If you are an inpatient we may use your existing IV or INT for the injection.

This is a two-part scan. The first part of the test you are injected and then scanned. This takes about ½ hour to complete. The second part of the test is done 3 hours later, which takes another ½ hour to complete. The technologist will let you know exactly what time to return. Occasionally a patient is required to return in 24 hours for an additional image. The Technologist will let you know if you have to return.

You will be required to drink 32 oz fluid after the injection of the isotope and keep your bladder emptied out.

Inpatient and Outpatient Preparation Instructions:

If you are breastfeeding, pregnant or think you are pregnant, you must inform your doctor.

No preparation is necessary. You can eat and drink prior to the scan.

Note:

For your convenience we may schedule more than one test on the same day. This can be confusing because the test may have different preparation instructions. If you are an outpatient and don’t understand the instructions, please call Radiology. If you are an inpatient the nursing staff will correlate your test with the preparation.

For Your Information:

The Radiologist (x-ray) doctor will read the scan and send the results to your doctor.

Important:

There is a charge for the isotope injection, which must be ordered before the scan. If it is necessary to cancel the scan, please call the Radiology Department at (419) 394-3335, extension 3528 as soon as possible.